So, this fall here are some of the fall and Halloween lessons plans and activities for middle school ELA that I’m brewing up in my 7th grade classroom. 1. We will read the play “Sorry, Wrong Number”. This super suspenseful play is in our Literature book, but it can also be found online. Last year was my first […]
They jump out at us in countless middle school essays. They lure our red pens to make endless circles and bold question marks. Occasionally, they even taunt us to create angry holes in a student’s notebook paper! At the worst, they can sometimes cause us to lose sleep and wonder, “Will my students ever transfer […]
For years, I struggled with how to specifically teach revision. Then the six traits came along, and life as a writing teacher became much easier. One night on the couch while watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition, a bright idea popped into my head. Why not let my students treat a rough draft as something […]
There is no other novel quite like The Man Who Loved Clowns! Scroll down to download FREE printable handouts and The Man Who Loved Clowns lesson plans to teach chapters 1-3 of this novel. My seventh grade students absolutely LOVE this book, and I will most likely read it every year until I retire. It will […]
The first year that I decided to teach the novel Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, I did not want my Hoot lesson plans to simply consist of reading a chapter, answering comprehension questions, and discussing the plot diagram and conflicts. So, I read the book chapter by chapter looking for literary techniques that could be analyzed and the […]
This post has a link for free The Watsons Go to Birmingham lesson plans. Yipee! Read on for the ideas, and make sure you click the link below to download FREE printables to help you teach this novel! First, we wold like to outline a couple of activities from our The Watsons Go to Birmingham lesson […]
“I honor you…” These famous words from The Tale of Despereaux will ring in your students’ hearts long after they finish reading this novel. Read on for some fun The Tale of Despereaux lesson plans, activities, and ideas to use when teaching this novel, and be sure to print our FREE handouts and a test […]
If you’re looking for The Cay lesson plans, printables, or activities, you’re in the right spot! The Cay by Theodore Taylor is a story of survival and friendship. Your students will not want to stop reading this awesome and powerful story! Scroll down to print free lesson plans/handouts for this novel. After reading chapter one […]
All students love Jerry Spinelli’s Maniac Magee! Scroll down to print free Maniac Magee lesson plans and a test. The unforgettable characters and the legend of Maniac paired with a plot that deals with real issues and family life create the perfect realistic story. In the classroom, this book lends itself perfectly for an independent […]
My favorite story to read in October around Halloween time is “Duffy’s Jacket” by Bruce Coville. Click the link below for a FREE handout to help you teach this awesome story! It can be read in one class period, it is highly suspenseful, and I can bang my hands on my podium at just the […]
ELA Core Plans provides teacher-written lesson plans, bellringers, and novel units designed to coordinate with Common Core State Standards.
